Clean, Sober, Proud

[Idris stands infront of a TD branded misting station at a Pride event, with rainbow cat whiskers and a pink nose painted on his face]

Undeniably, Pride season in any city is the largest, loudest, most exhausting and uplifting time of the year. My peers sway from T-Dance to Beer Garden to Circuit Festival and repeat. For most of my adult life, Pride was about excess and alcohol and club drugs and skin. Nothing heartfelt, just superficiality and booze.

Nowhere in the city could I gather with friends to celebrate diversity and inclusion without being bombarded with predictable booze, booze, and lube sponsors. Parties with a lot of substances, but very little substance. Where could I find people like me, who wanted to celebrate diversity without getting mashed?

Clean, Sober, Proud is that comfort zone inside the mass festivals of Vancouver Pride! A place where the community can party hard without the burden of substances. A place where diversity is about diversity, and inclusion is really about inclusion. A place where allies can support friends in recovery, and stigma takes a backseat for a weekend.

I am honored to support Clean, Sober, Proud once again, with confidence that my family, friends and peers can enjoy a heartfelt Vancouver Pride experience without feeling obligated to partake in the synthetic rush of drugs and alcohol in order to feel like we belong. This is freedom! This is MyPride!